Tuesday, May 15, 2012

What does expensive SWPL Light Rail attract to the metropolitan area?

Thieves:
Thieves stole 70,000 pounds of copper cable from Sound Transit's Link light rail line between Tukwila and Sea-Tac Airport, the agency reported Friday.

Thieves ripped the wire from inside an elevated guideway that supports the tracks, probably over the last several months. From end-to-end, about four miles of cable was stolen, Sound Transit spokesman Bruce Gray said.

"This isn't something that would have been done overnight," Gray said. "Whoever did this knew what they were going after and had some sophisticated knowledge of how to get in."
So the hideously expensive SWPL prestige rail project not only fails to reduce congestion, or get people out of their cars, or reduce carbon emissions, or save energy transporting people to work.  It also attracts thieves that steal part of the infrastructure making it unsafe.

Oh yeah, it's also so expensive that bus service to poor neighborhoods has to be cut back.  Other than being terrible for the environment, poor people, and working families, it's awesome.  After all, the Right Sort Of People® get to boast about their new Light Rail system at all the Right Parties™

Man, I sure am glad that all the SWPL Lefties are ever so clever and everything.  Otherwise people might think that Light Rail was a freaking disaster or something.

6 comments:

Phssthpok said...

"Other than being terrible for the environment, poor people, working families, and including FOUR MILES of copper cabling that apparently did nothing such that it's disappearance went unnoticed for several months, it's awesome."

There...I fixed that for you. ;)

Broken Andy said...

Yeah. Exactly how did they not notice this stuff gone?

Jake (formerly Riposte3) said...

According to the article, "The wire runs along the guideway's hollow interior to protect it from low-level electrical current that strays from the rails, and directs it to the ground. The current would otherwise corrode the structure's rebar over time[.]"

Its only function is to prevent structural corrosion, so it wouldn't actually hinder operations. Still, you would think there would be an indicator somewhere that the continuity of the ground was broken, so they can catch problems like this before there's structural damage.

Rabbit said...

In Dallas, it does attract a lot more muggings and murders during robberies, especially in Downtown and South Dallas.

Anonymous said...

We have the same nonsense here. Lot's of train/car accidents is the result.

gfa

Anonymous said...

And Phoenix has seen steadily decreased (or cancelled) bus service near the corridor where the light rail runs.

Just remember: No Democrat. Any office. Ever.